Pot mouthpiece wiper



April 29, 1952 w. o. BECKER 2,594,613

POT MOUTHPIECE WIPER Filed July 1, 1947 I ssheets-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR April 29', 1952 w. o. BECKER POT MOUTHPIECE WIPER Filed July 1, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q I J W h l h i 4 INVENTOR BY W A ril 29, 1952 w. o. BECKER POT MOUTHPIECE WIPER Filed July 1, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 6 MMZW ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 29, 1952 POT MOUTHPIECE WIPER William 0. Becker, Ozone Park,.N. Y., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application July 1, 1947, Serial No. 758,259

Claims. (01. 199-62) This invention relates to type bar casting machines, such as Linotype machines of the general organization represented in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or Linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter returned through distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started.

In this class of machines, the molds are mounted in a carrier or disk which is advanced from the rear before each casting operation to press the front face of the mold against the composed line of matrices. Usually, the advance of the mold is immediately followed by the advance of the melting pot, which brings its mouthpiece tightly up against the back of the mold preparatory to the descent of the pump plunger and the casting of the slug. In practice, it has been found that fiakes or fins of type metal frequently form upon the mouthpiece of the melting pot, and, if allowed to accumulate, result in imperfect lockups, back squirts, etc.

The present invention is directed to an automatic wiper of improved form, which is operated before and after each casting operation to keep the mouthpiece of the melting pot as well as the vents formed therein clean and free of such metal accumulations.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the Wiper comprises a resiliently mounted cylindrical brush arranged be moved bodily downward and upward across t e face of the mouthpiece of the melting pot and to be rotated first in one direction and then in the other direction as it is so moved, this latter feature being particularly desirable since it has been found that by so rotating the brush its effectiveness as a wiping element is materially increased.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown merely by way of example and in preferred form, and obviously many changes and variations may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the casting portion of the machine as equipped with the improved wiper, its operating mechanism and associated parts;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the wiper in its normal raised position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, partly in section, showing the lower position of the wiper at the time of the casting operation 7 Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing'how the distance between the wiper and the axis of rotation of the rocker arms increases and decreases during the operation of the wiper;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the melting pot mouthpiece, the wiper, its operating mechanism and associated parts;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail elevational view showing the manner of connecting the slide arms to the rocker arms and to the wiper carrying shaft; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the mold ill, in which the slug is cast, is carried by a rotatable mold disk I I. Before each casting operation, the mold disk is advanced to press the front face of the mold firmly against the composed line of matrices 12 in the first elevator I3, and at about the same time, the melting pot I4 is rocked forward to press its mouthpiece I5 tightly against the back of the mold. In this lock-up condition of the parts (see Fig. 3), molten metal is forced from the pot through its mouthpiece into the mold and up against the composed line of matrices for the casting of the slug, the composed line being tightly clamped at the time between the usual vise jaws 9 (see Fig. 1) to prevent the leakage of, metal through the line during the casting. After the casting operation, both the melting pot and the mold disk are returned to their original or non-casting positions. The parts described and their mode of operation are well known in the art and constitute no part of the present invention.

The improved mouthpiece wiper comprises a horizontally disposed cylindrical brush l6 (eomposed of any suitable material, such as wire bristles), which is normally positioned (Fig. 2), before each slug casting operation, against the face of the mouthpiece I5 of the melting pot slightly above the level of the vertical slots or air vents l1 formed therein.

The brush I6 is mounted fast upon a shaft l8 which, at its ends, is provided with a pair of serratedor toothed rollers 19 fixedly secured theretov by set screws 20 (Fig. 8). The rollers l9 track upon a pair of cam surfaces 2| formed on a pair of plates 22 positioned on opposite sides of the melting pot l4, the plates being secured by screw studs 23 to brackets 24 which, in turn, are fastened to the melting pot by studs 26 normally used to clamp the pot cover in place.

The rollers |9 are loosely connected to a pair of fore-and-aft arms 21 at the outer ends thereof, the arms being formed with round holes 28 to receive the rollers, and the latter being formed with annular grooves 29 in which the forward Walls of the holes 28 are seated (Fig. 8). The arms 21, in turn, are slidably connected to a pair of fore-and-aft rocker arms 30 pivotally secured by studs 3| to the cam plates 22, the slidin connection between the arms 21 and the rocker arms 30 being effected by providing the slide arms 21 with elongated slots 32 through which pass the studs 33 employed to hold them together (Fig. 7). A pair of springs 34, connected to bent out cars 35 formed on the slide arms 21 and to pins 36 on the rocker arms 30 tend to pull the slide arms rearwardly and, in so doing, always maintain the slide arms engaged in the annular grooves 29 of the rollers I9, with the latter pressed'against the cam surfaces 2| and with the brush I6 pressed against the face of the mouthpiece l5.

At their inner ends, the rocker arms 30 are provided with guide shoes 38, 39 which engage a pair of cam surfaces 40, 4| formed on a pair of plates i2, 43 positioned on opposite sides of the melting pot M, the cam surfaces 40, 4| being substantially the reverse of the cam surfaces 2 I formed on the plates 22 (FigspZ and The cam plates 42, 43 are carried by brackets 44, 44 secured to the main frame of the machine, and in order that this arrangement may be more readily embodied in machines as presently constructed, the plates 42, 43 differ in shape, that is to say, the cam surface 40 on the plate 42 at the left of the melting pot is formed on the rear edge of the plate (Figs. 2 and 3), while the cam surface 4| on the plate 43 at the right of the melting pot is formed on the front wall of a recess 43 formed in the plate (see q Fi 6).

When the melting pot is in its rear or noncasting position, a pair of springs 45, connected to the pins 36 on the rocker arms 30 and to pins 48 carried by the cam plates 22, serve to maintain the rocker arms 30 in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the shoes 38, 39 are at the bottom of the cam surfaces 40, 4|, and the shaft I8, which carries the brush l6 and the rollers I9, is in its normal raised position where, as stated before, the rollers are at the top of the cam surfaces 2| and the brush is pressing against the face of the mouthpiece I5 slightly above the level of the vents formed therein.

Accordingly, as the melting pot I4 moves forwardly preparatory to a slug casting operation, the shoes 38, 39 ride upwardly along the cam surfaces 40, 4| and hence rotate the rocker arms 30 about their pivotal axes against the action of the springs 45. As the rocker arms are so rotated, the serrated rollers I9 ride downwardly along the cam surfaces 2| and the brush I6 is carried bodily downward across the face of the mouthpiece I5 and finally positioned out of its way so as to enable it to be pressed against the rear face of the mold (see Fig. 3) Later, when the melting pot l4 moves rearwardly after the casting operation, the springs 45 act to rotate the rocker arms so about their pivotal axes in the opposite direction, with the result that the rollers |'9 ride upwardly along the cam surfaces 2| and the brush I6 is carried bodily upwardly across the face of the mouthpiece I5 back to its normal position of rest (Fig. 2).

As the rollers I9 ride downwardly and upwardly along the cam surfaces 2|, the teeth or serrations thereon engage the cam surfaces and so cause the rollers to turn about their own axes, and since they are fixedly secured to the shaft l8, the brush I6 is rotated first in one direction and then in the other in its bodily downward and upward movements across the face of the mouthpiece before and after each casting operation.

During the bodily movements of the brush Hi, the distance between the axis of the shaft I8 and the common axis of rotation of the rocker arms 30 decreases and increases (see Fig. 4) but this is compensated for by the resilient sliding connection between the arms 21 and the rocker arms 30, which maintains the rollers l9 at all times in engagement with the cam surfaces 2! and the brush in yielding contact with the face of the mouthpiece durin the lwiping action.

To take up any wear on the brush I6, the cam plates 22 are adjustably secured to the brackets 24, this being effected by providing the plates with elongated fore-and-aft slots 5|) through which pass the screw studs 23 employed to secure the plates to the brackets.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a melting pot having a mouthpiece and movable to and from casting position, the combination of a pair of rocker arms carried by the pot, a pair of spring-actuated arms slidably connected to said rocker arms, a mouth-piece wiping element carried by said slidable arms, automatic means for rocking said rocker arms in one direction to carry said element bodily across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves to casting position, and automatic means for rocking said rocker arms in the opposite direction to again carry said element across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves from casting position.

2. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a melting pot having a mouthpiece and movable to and from casting position, the combination of a pair of rocker arms carried by the pot, a pair of spring-actuated arms slidably connected to said rocker arms, a rotatable mouthpiece wiping element carried by said slidable arms, automatic means for rocking said rocker arms in one direction to carry said element bodily across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot mgves to casting position, automatic means for rocking said rocker arms in the opposite direction to again carry said element bodily across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves from casting position, and automatic means for rotating said element in its bodily movements across the face of said mouthpiece.

3. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a melting pot having a mouthpiece and movable to and from casting position, the combination of a pair of rocker arms carried by the pot, a pair of spring-actuated arms slidably connected to said rocker arms, a mouthpiece wiping element carried by said slidable arms, a pair of fixed cam plates adapted to rock said rocker arms in one direction to carry said element across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves to casting position, and spring means for rocking said rocker arms in the opposite direction to again carry said element across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves from casting position. v

4. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a melting pot having a mouthpiece and movable to and "from casting position, the combination of a pair of rocker arms carried by the pot, a pair of spring-actuated arms slidably connected to said rocker arms, a rotatable mouthpiece wiping element carried by said slidable arms, a pair of fixed cam plates adapted. to rock said rocker arms in one direction to carry said element bodily across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves to casting position, a pair of springs adapted to rock said rocker arms in the opposite direction to again carry said element bodily across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves from casting position, and a second pair of cam plates carried by the pot for rotating said element in its bodily movements across the face of said mouthpiece.

5. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a. melting pot having a mouthpiece and movable to and from casting position, the combination of a. pair of rocker arms carried by the pot, a pair of spring-actuated arms slidably connected to said rocker arms, a rotatable mouthpiece wiping element carried by said slidable arms, a pair of fixed cam plates adapted to rock said rocker arms in one direction to carry said element bodily across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves to casting position, and a pair of springs carried by the pot to rock said rocker arms in the opposite direction to again carry said element bodily across the face of said mouthpiece as the pot moves from casting position.

6. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a melting pot having a mouthpiece and movable to and from casting position, the combination of a pair of rocker arms carried by the pot, a pair of spring-actuated arms slidably connected to said rocker arms, a pair of cam plates carried by said pot, a shaft carried by said slidable arms, a rotatable mouthpiece wiping element mounted on said shaft, a pair of serrated rollers fast to said shaft and tracking on said cam plates, a second pair of cam plates fixed to the machine frame and adapted to rock said rocker arms in one direction as the pot moves to casting position, and a pair of springs carried by the pot and adapted to rock said rocker arms in the opposite direction I as the pot moves from casting position.

7. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a melting pot havinga mouthpiece with a plurality of transverse elongated vents formed in the face thereof, the combination of a cylindrical wiping element arranged parallel to the mouthpiece and extending the full length thereof, a rotatable shaft to which the wiping element is fixed, rollers on the opposite ends of said shaft, a reciprocatory carrier in which the shaft is journalled and by which the wiping element is moved bodily and transversely across the face of the mouthpiece in opposite directions, and a pair of relatively fixed cam plates upon which the shaft rollers track during such bodily movements of the wiping element and by which said element is rotated in opposite directions transversely of and relatively to the mouthpiece.

8. The combination according to claim 7, including a resilient mounting for the rotatable shaft which maintains the wiping element in resilient contact with the mouthpiece during both strokes of the carrier.

9. The combination according to claim '7, including means for reciprocating the carrier in one direction as the pot moves to casting position, and means for reciprocating the carrier in the opposite direction as the pot moves from casting position.

10. In a type bar casting machine equipped with a melting pot having a mouthpiece and movable to and from casting position, the combination of a mouthpiece wiping element having a two-way wiping action, a reciprocatory carrier in which the wiping element is mounted and by which it is moved bodily and transversely across the face of the mouthpiece in opposite directions, means actuated by the movement of the pot to casting position for reciprocating the carrier in one direction to cause the wiping element to perform one wiping action, and means actuated by the movement of the pot from casting position for reciprocating the carrier in the opposite direction to cause the wiping element to perform a second wiping action.

WILLIAM 0'. BECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

